Can the Ealing tree cull be stopped? 12 mature trees will be stolen from our conservation area forever!

Building on every green site in London must be stopped before ALL the trees are gone!

The Mandela site in Ealing's Conservation Area is one such site. Located at the corner of St Mary's Road and The Park in W5, it is a cool and verdant park with around 20 trees and numerous shrubs growing in it. It provides shelter to a wide variety of birds including woodpeckers - and is one of London's rapidly disappearing but vital green lungs.

The site was given to the University of West London for PUBLIC use. But they are going to build 8 huge three-storey 4-bedroom houses on it to be sold into private hands creating £millions for the University. Their planning application for the houses was REJECTED by Ealing's Planning Committee in June 2015 but the University has appealed against this decision and WON. In fact, the University should be landscaping the site - a promise they made in 1992 when they signed a legally-binding Section 106 agreement.

The University, managed by Professor Peter John (& criticised for its over-development of the campus) states on its own website: "One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to balance social and economic goals while protecting the earth’s natural environment and resources. Here at UWL, we’re working hard to meet this challenge..."Please sign now to ask the University's Board of Governors to apply these values to their own site and halt their building plan - a decision which would be legally, environmentally and morally right.

The name Mandela is a symbol for racial equality. At this time - more than ever - the local community and the University should be working together to make Ealing a great place to study - and a great place to live.

Please build bridges - not houses. It is wrong to build houses on this area on 3 counts:

1. You promised to landscape the site and maintain its visual amenity for the area, agreeing that, "the existing trees on the site are not to be lopped, felled or otherwise affected in any way" and "the entire root system of the trees [are] to be retained".

2. You were granted this land by the council for educational purposes - not for commercial gain from building luxury houses to sell off into private hands.

3. You say on your website, "One of the greatest challenges of the c21st is to balance social and economic goals while protecting the earth's natural environment and resources. Here at UWL, we're working hard to meet this challenge...". Please apply your principles to your own site and keep this small remaining space green.

We need Mandela park as a symbol of unity in our community. Please preserve the park for students and the community alike.

Thank you.

Residents of Ealing

Update #51 years ago

Following, the presentation of this petition to Professor Peter John, Vice Chancellor of UWL, the land has now been put up for sale: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-55365103.html Local residents asked UWL to keep its promise to landscape this conservation site "in the interests of neighbouring properties and the visual amenity of the area" - and not to build 8 huge 3-storey houses. This planning application was rejected in June 2015 to protect the open space and vegetation.

Update #41 years ago

Governors of UWL and Ealing Council, please listen to the Voice of Ealing! There is a lot of ill feeling about building on Mandela park - towards the University AND the Council! Just see the petition.
Please tell your friends and neighbours about it.The biggest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. The University and Ealing Council need to hear from you!

Update #31 years ago

This beautiful space in Ealing - acknowledged as a conservation area - will soon be lost - to become 8 luxury houses! The University of West London signed a legally-binding agreement with Ealing Council promising that, "The existing trees on the site shall not be lopped, felled or otherwise affected in anyway". They are now reneging on this promise and showing more interest in the green stuff than the green spaces of Ealing.

Update #21 years ago

Not one of the 14 mature trees has a Tree Preservation Order as they're 'sufficiently protected by the Conservation Area' according to Ealing's Tree Service. The Tree Officer has been asked to change this and give these trees a TPO URGENTLY. And Ealing Council should enforce the Section 106 agreement NOW.

Update #11 years ago

Watch the interview on London Live TV:

https://vimeo.com/171970807

We talk about what the University of West London is doing to Mandela park. And what Ealing Council is NOT doing to protect the Borough's green spaces!

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